The Range of Sundanese Horror Comics that Escapes/Disappear in the Treasure of Indonesian Comics

Abstract

The presence of Sundanese comics in West Java, especially the horror genre, is a fact that escapes from a variety of research on the history of Indonesian comics. This horror comic was published in two mass media; Giwangkara and Mangle. At that time, the circulation of the two mass media is quite good. However, with the growth of the publishing business in West Java, this media is unable to compete with others because it has a very limited audience segmentation. Using the qualitative approach, this research will elaborate the development of Sundanese comic strips in Mangle and Giwangkara magazines from 1983 to 1992. Using survey and interview methods, this study is histographical, not problem-oriented and it is written in a descriptive way.The result of the research indicates that there are more than twenty comics with horror genre in the year 1983 to 1992. Among the comics there were cultural themes that invite the readers to miss Sundanese culture. The presence of Sundanese comics in the magazines dismissed the notion that Indonesian comics was in decline. In fact, within seven years period, a lot of comics were published in Mangle & Giwangkara magazines.

Keywords: Comic, Horror, History, Indonesia, Sundanese